Ninja Tutoring
by QuasiAngel
Summary: If Sakura wants a promotion, she must pass a few tests. She is assigned a tutor to help her out. Chapters 13 revamped and adding chapter 4 very soon. Kinda AU, NejiSaku, Incomplete
1. I've been assigned a WHAT?

"Ninja Tutoring"  
by: QuasiAngel

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto…

Update Note: I have gotten so many reviews and emails lately asking me to finish this fic already! I am very flattered and I have some time on my hands so I have decided to revamp the chapters I have up and finish the damn thing. I haven't read or watched Naruto lately… and I started this fic way before the whole "grown-up" arc. So! This fic is now classified as AU. So yeah… Enjoy and thanks to everyone who reviewed!

And remember to beware, for this is a Neji/Sakura fic. If you don't like it, then don't read it. If you do like it and do read it, then please review!

-

Chapter 1: _I've been assigned a WHAT?_

Today was Sunday- a day like any other day in the Hidden Village of Konoha. The sky was blue, the sun was shining and the grass was singed. Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi, formally Team 7, met every other Sunday in the same grassy field, rain or shine unless someone was on a mission or in the hospital. This Sunday, everyone was off duty and in tip-top shape.

The past four years had flown by for the group. Naruto was the first to become Chuunin only a year after their first try at the test. He had not only grown in strength, but he grew as a person. He demonstrated the principals of teamwork, the meaning of self-preservation, and was able to see beyond the obvious. It also didn't help that he mastered the summoning of Kyuubi at will, giving him the upper hand against all of his opponents. It was only fair for the elders to grant the boy his promotion.

Sasuke's successful completion of the Chuunin exam took place the following year. He probably would have reached this level the same year as Naruto, but the Hokage held him back, saying his sudden departure and reentry into the Leaf was suspicious. He needed to regain the village's trust and he did so with flying colors.

Kakashi, being the mysterious Jounin he had always been, never really told his ex-comrades what he did with himself during those few years. He just greeted them with a smile and when asked what he'd been up to he'd simply answer, "I've been keeping myself busy."

Sakura had also been keeping herself busy. She knew right off the bat that she wasn't ready to become a Chuunin with Naruto, or even Sasuke. She took the advice of the dark haired boy, reluctantly lost her silly little crush and trained until she was ready. During her years of training, she would seek the guidance of the three deadliest Kunoichi in Konoha- TenTen, Shizune, and the 5th Hokage herself, Tsunade. Most would think that she would have become one of the most feared women in the Leaf Villiage, but that wasn't the case. She had only gained enough techniques from these three women to pass her own Chuunin exam.

After careful analytical musings, she came to the conclusion that she didn't need to be a Jounin. She'd stay a step or two behind her comrades and would stay a Chuunin. She figured it was where she belonged. It's where everyone expected her to be.

Like all of their Sunday's spent together, she contently kept one eye on her reading material and the other on Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi. They would always spar like this- like young boys. Like old times. The three were not boys and she knew it. Including Kakashi, she had always considered her team a bunch of boys- even after Naruto became the tallest of the group and Sasuke's deep velvet voice dropped a few octaves lower. It was now only a few months away from their Jounin exams and it dawned on her that they were no longer boys- they were men.

A few years ago, she had wondered why boys (or men) pushed themselves so much. To this day she still didn't know the right answer. _It must be a guy thing_, she thought. She was content in her conclusion and didn't dawn on it any further. She accepted it, never questioned it, but in her heart she still worried. That was not a girl or guy thing. That was a human thing.

She looked at the pocket watch adorned with the Uchiha fan, one of the belongings Sasuke asked for her to hold during his sparring, and sighed. It was almost noon. Like clockwork, Team 7 would be finishing up, she would check for any major injuries, bandage them, and then the group would settle down in the lush grass and eat a large lunch prepared by her.

It's just the way things were supposed to be.

-

The pink-haired Chuunin handed out individual bentos to her male counterparts and settled down between Kakashi and Sasuke.

"I so kicked your ass with that new move," Naruto shouted with a mouth full of food, pointing an accusing pair of chopsticks in Sasuke's face.

"Whatever, dobe."

"You saw it, right Kakashi-sensei?"

"Sorry Naruto, I must have missed it."

"Sakura-chan?"

It had always come down to this. She was always the deciding factor.

She slowly finished chewing and swallowed, then lightly dabbed the corners of her mouth with a handkerchief. She loved to watch the eager anticipation of the blond one while he waited for her answer.

"Of course, Naruto. You were fantastic as always," she had lied. She did watch their mock matches, but never really paid attention to who was beating who.

Naruto's eyes lit up like they always did when Sakura complimented him. He also proceeded to rub his "victory" in the face of the young Uchiha.

She turned to Kakashi and noticed the distinct shape of a smile beneath the navy blue fabric that covered his nose and mouth. They both knew it was easier to give Naruto the victory he wanted than disappoint him. Sakura had also given Naruto a bit of slack since the days of their first Chuunin exam. He deserved much more than the cold shoulder.

-

The three finished their meals (and still had not seen Kakashi take one bite, but his bento was empty) and they all laid in a row, silently watching the clouds. It wasn't the sparring or gossip that brought them together every other Sunday; it was the quiet meditation surrounded by "family".

And as quick as it started, it was over.

Naruto shot up from his space on the grass and stretched, "Well, it's time to go you guys."

Sakura looked up at him and squinted a bit at the late afternoon sun, "It's six o'clock already?"

She glanced over at Sasuke who checked his watch, "It's actually three minutes after."

"Time sure does fly," Kakashi said as we got up from his spot.

She smiled sadly and closed her eyes, "That's an understatement."

"Do you want some help cleaning up, Sakura-chan?" she opened one eye and looked at Naruto.

"What do you think?"

"Yeah, yeah. I don't understand why you refuse our help. It's not like we offer it frequently," he turned to Sasuke, "Hey, wanna race?"

"To where?"

"The Academy."

"Fine," Sasuke got into position and looked back at Kakashi, who was in the process of standing, "You coming Kakashi?"

"No, you guys go ahead. I'm going to help Sakura."

Sakura stood up and proceeded to protest, "But-"

He put his large hand on her shoulder and left it there for a moment. He must have had something important to discuss with her because he touched her. He never touched her unless he had to. She figured his lack of touching was due to the whole puberty thing. Most older guys tend to be a little skittish around young women. Especially if these young women are growing curves; curves they didn't have only a few years ago, "I insist."

"Oh, I see! Kakashi-sensei wants to be _alone_ with Sakura-chan. I heard you liked them young, but this-"

Naruto's trap was abruptly shut by Sasuke's hand, "Shut-up, dobe."

Kakashi cleared his throat, "As much as I enjoy Sakura's company, I think attempting to win her heart would be a waste of time. I don't think I'm her type. Isn't that right, Sakura?"

Embarrassment kept her from responding so she merely nodded.

"Alright," Sasuke nodded his goodbyes to Kakashi and Sakura, took his hand from Naruto's mouth, and turned towards the direction of the Academy, "Let's go," and he took off.

Naruto was torn between catching up to Sasuke and watching over Sakura. He decided he hadn't kicked Sasuke's ass enough today, "Alright- you just keep your hands off of her, old man!"

The silver haired Jounin removed his hand from the speechless girl and said, "You can trust me."

The blond nodded to the both of them and he was off.

Kakashi knelt by the mess their lunch had left and looked up at Sakura, "Shall we?"

"Oh, yeah," she picked up the blanket they had used and folded in into a neat square.

When everything was packed away, they stood side-by-side, facing the setting sun. The two hadn't been alone together in a very long time and although Sakura should have been enjoying her quiet time with her former teacher, the air was a bit unsettling.

"Kakashi?" she said in a voice barely above a whisper, "Why did you stay?"

"Hmm," he kept his eyes on the sun, "I can't hide anything from you, Sakura."

"No, you can't. It's not like you to clean. Nor is it like you to defy my request to be alone. What it is that you have to tell me? Or ask me."

He didn't know any other way to say it, "You've been assigned a tutor."

"I've been assigned a what? A tutor? You're joking! Where's Naruto? I bet he's behind this," she said, laughing.

He turned back to her and shook his head, "It's no joke."

"B-but I'm a Chuunin! I am satisfied that that. And the Hokage said I'd be great working with strategic operations and negotiations- no fighting. Maybe even healing! I would be content to do that. I don't need to get stronger! I'm strong enough to get by, right?"

"I'm sorry, Sakura, but even if you were to apply for a position in Strategics or Negotiations, your scores in the Chuunin exam were unsatisfactory to uphold a position. They wouldn't accept you."

She mouthed the word, 'unsatisfactory' and sighed.

"I thought you knew these positions were only held by qualified individuals who scored a certain amount on their physical exams."

She tried to erase the defeated look on her face, but failed miserable, "I- I was under the impression that the Hokage could over-turn technicalities like that."

"She can, but that would be unfair. And besides, your application would be denied by the elders anyway. You won't have to take the Jounin exam. You just have to pass a few tests and you'll be fine."

"Well, who said I wanted those jobs, anyway? I could be a teacher."

Kakashi shook his head. He knew she wouldn't be content in teaching, "Is that what you want?"

"Sure, I mean I-" she watched the shapes beneath his mask form a frown, "No."

"I know you won't mind a little extra hard work, Sakura. You just need a little push in the right direction. A tutor is not the end of the world."

"Can't you train me?"

He sighed. He knew he hadn't done his best to train her, but he had always seemed to have his hands full with the boys, "You know I'd love to, but I have been ordered to help train Sasuke for his Jounin exam."

She threw her hands up in defeat, "Naruto has Jiraiya! Sasuke has you! Where does that leave me?"

"Sakura-"

"It leaves me in the dark, getting treated like left-overs."

"It's out of my hands now. I haven't been your sensei for four years. Yes- I wish I had focused on your skills as well, but I didn't expect to have a demon, a traitor, a Hokage assassination and a war thrown into my lap!" he cleared his throat. He hated yelling at her, but that seemed like the only way to get through to her, "Look, my past teaching strategies are not under the microscope right now. I am simply the messenger. You will meet your tutor in front of Jounin headquarters tomorrow morning at 8am sharp."

"Who's my tutor?"

"I am not at liberty to say."

"Why not?"

"Because," he said simply.

"Because why?"

"Just because."

"Argh! You are expecting me to go into this blindfolded? This is your fault, Kakashi! If you would have just taught me then I wouldn't nee-"

She abruptly stopped and walked a few feet away from her teacher. Ashamed, she sat on the ground Indians-style with her back to him and her face in the palms of her hands. What she said was harsh because she knew, for once, he actually had a legitimate reason for not being there for her. He was right- it was out of his hands.

"I'm sorry," came a tiny voice heavy with emotion. She blinked her tears away and suddenly her sensei was in front of her, sitting on his heels at eye level with her.

"Give me your hands," He held out his hands and she hesitantly put hers in his, palms face down. He turned them palm-up and inspected them briefly, "When we return here in 6 weeks I want to see your nail polish chipped, your nails broken, your palms blistered and your finger tips calloused. Promise me!"

"I promise I will do my best, Kakashi-sensei," she turned her hands around so her palms were facing his again and she closed the space between them.

"I know you will," he gave her hands a reassuring squeeze and smiled a bit under his mask, "Also, I want you to catch up with your Icha Icha reading."

She instantly turned red and tried to take her hands away, but he held on tight.

"I- I don't know what the hell you're talking about!"

"Now-now. You don't have to lie to me. I know that's what you were reading."

"No way! I-"

He took her book out of thin-air and waved it in front of her face, "I have memorized the size, shape, page count and every single word on every single page of these books. A mismatched dust cover won't fool me," he took the foreign cover off of the book to prove his point.

"I- I- I-"

"Don't be so embarrassed Sakura," he placed the book on the ground next to her and stood up, "It's a great series. Full of character development and such."

She sighed in defeat and placed her book securely in an empty kunai holder, "It has its charm."

He gave a good laugh and helped her stand, "Well Sakura, I am off. Good luck!" and he disappeared into a cloud of smoke.

"Thanks for nothing."

-

TBC


	2. Do you want to call my bluff?

"Ninja Tutoring"

by: QuasiAngel

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto...

Update Note: Wow… I don't want to toot my own horn, but I forgot how much fun this story was. I have a while LiveJournal full of notes. I think I have it flushed out until chapter 6. I just have to write it. Heh! And I noticed I haven't had to do much editing with these old chapters. That's a plus!

Note: _'Italics'_ are thoughts.

-

Chapter 2: _Do you want to call my bluff?_

Sakura took her time getting home last night. She basked in the setting Konoha sun, walking slowly with her arms in front her holding a bag of lunch items. It was nothing unusual for her to take her time getting home after the Sunday meetings and she used her time to reflect on change.

She was happy for all her teammates and their accomplishments. She was also very grateful for Team 7, a loving family and the mere fact of being alive. She knew too many people that didn't have what she did, but she wanted more. Or so she thought.

When she stepped through her door, disposed of her bag, grabbed a clean towel and soaps and headed for the public bath on her floor. Once there, she locked the door, ran her bath and hopped in.

She felt drained and empty; her self-esteem was non-existent. She sighed in defeat, "Unsatisfactory?"

She had always tried to tell herself that what she had was enough, but she had to admit to herself that she was wrong. She had worked so hard throughout school. She knew she didn't deserve to stop here. But the thought of not being good enough frightened her. It shouldn't have been this way. She should have worked harder when she was a genin and focused on what she was good at. Instead, she just did what she could to get by. She only studied and never trained in her free time, although she could have. The effort she spent on Sasuke could have also been spent on training.

"Dammit, he was right!" she punched the surface of the water, suds exploded all over her face,"Stupid Sasuke. No- stupid Sakura! This is my fault."

When she started out in the academy, right away she was at the top of her class. Once it came time for the physical aspect of academy training, she got by with her excellent charka control and strategic planning. She didn't have any strong bloodlines or forbidden techniques. She was Sakura! And even though she was always a step behind everyone else, she got by. She needed to be determined enough to do it again.

"I've had greater challenges, right? It won't be so bad," she said out loud to herself, "You can do this Sakura! Hell yeah!"

She heard three loud thumps on the door and an angry male voice, "Yo lady, talk to your voices on your own time! Other people wanna use the bath too!"

"Yeah, yeah."

-

She got ready to start her new day in a leisurely fashion. Once she was finished her daily routine, she settled down with a cup of green tea (three sugars) and looked around her apartment. Sixteen was young to be living alone, but she had always promised herself that when she became Chuunin, she would get her own place. After much objection from her Father, her Mother held her end of the agreement and helped her move into an apartment of her own 2 weeks after she received her vest.

Her apartment was a small studio- it was literally one room. One section lead to another and the only things behind closed doors were a cramped restroom and a closet full of clothes and bedding. It was humble, homey, and hers. She loved it!

Her front door lead into the kitchenette area. It was confined and lacked the pantry space she was used to at home. She made most of her meals here, assisted by only a small refrigerator, 2 cupboards, a sink, and a hot plate. Her living room was modestly decorated with beige, plush, hand-me-down seating. There were 2 mismatched tables and lamps on each side of the couch and in front of it was a coffee table and beyond that was a rarely used television set on a broken TV cart. Behind the couch was an empty place on the floor. That is where she laid her bedding every night. Above this area was the only window in her apartment. On the windowsill were various plants, knick-knacks, books, and a picture. It was her Team 7 picture taken back when she was 12. Some nights when she couldn't sleep, she would take that picture and stand it up next to her pillow and stare at it. It reminded her of when she was equal with everyone else. It also made her realize she might lose her friends, not just to the enemy, but to change.

Watching Naruto and Sasuke achieve so much while she was left behind year after year (in addition to the encouraging words of the Hokage) drove her to yearn for a higher position, but she was in no hurry. Sure, it wasn't Jounin, but it was something. And come hell or high water, she was going to show everyone she could do it! Her tutor would make sure of it. She had no choice now. No one wanted to be a low level Chuunin their entire career.

-

A 16 year old Haruno Sakura made her way towards Jounin headquarters, skipping slightly in her high heels. Her shoulder length pink hair, adorned with a blue Konoha forehead protector, flew blindly behind her and in sync with her every step. She wore a red dress much like her old one, but it was a little bit shorter with a lower collar and hugged all of the curves Mother Nature recently blessed her with. Over her dress, she wore her Chuunin vest, but it was a bit lighter in weight than what the boys wore. And for all modestly concerned, she still wore her green shorts and mesh shirt under neither. You never know when you'll run into Jiraiya. The fact that she was young enough to be his great-granddaughter didn't matter much to him. Age was just a number, and a number was just a measurement, and so on.

She arrived at her destination 15 minutes early. She slowly paced back and forth in front of the entrance, trying to waste time before her tutor was to arrive. She couldn't help but notice the young Jounin recruit who stood guarding the door. He was tall, handsome, and a few years older. She could feel his eyes watching her with interest as she paced, his gaze wondering from top to bottom. She kept a cool exterior, but Inner Sakura was all smiles.

When you've loved a boy as long as Sakura had loved Sasuke, you tend to look past others. Her admiration for him was still present, but she gave up the idea of being with him long ago. If he decided she was what he wanted, she'd be at his door at the drop of a hat, but that was unlikely. His life as a ninja was more important than love. She didn't feel defeated. Instead, she took advantage of her self-proclaimed freedom. She could now notice other boys, or men. She also wasn't quick to pummel men with wandering eyes (except Naruto). Instead, she took it as a compliment. It was refreshing, but she had yet to have her first boyfriend, let alone her first kiss (though she was in no rush).

When she turned around to fully face the young Jounin, she was surprised to see him coming her way. Their eyes met and she smiled brightly. Her heart seemed to jump further and future into her throat as he got closer and closer. Then suddenly his eyes dropped to the ground and he turned around, returning to his post.

'_Omygod, I must have something in my teeth!_' she screamed to herself. She quickly whipped around and covered her mouth, but came in contact with a hard body. She would have fallen if that body hadn't grabbed her.

"Please do not distract the Jounins on duty, Sakura."

He let go of her and backed up a bit. Her eyes grazed the tall body and finally met his pale eyes, "Neji?"

Sakura hadn't seen him in what seemed like ages. He stood tall, taller than most men of Konoha, in his Jounin uniform. His hair was pulled back as it had always been with straps coming out from under his forehead protector. His cheek and jawbones had filled out nicely, making him almost a mirror of his uncle and deceased father. A Hyuuga, indeed.

"I'm surprised you remembered my name, Sakura."

"I'm more surprised you remembered mine."

The half smirk on his lips turned into a thin line, "I would rather not waste time with niceties. Let's go," he turned around and started walking away.

"Wow- wait a second! As much as I'd love to catch up on things, I can't. I am waiting for someone."

"I know."

"You do?"

"Yes- I'm your tutor."

She ran up behind him and tried to put her hand over his mouth, "Shhhh! Not so loud."

He batted her hand away, "What? Is little Sakura-chan embarrassed?"

"N-no, not exactly. Can we talk about this somewhere else?"

He nodded and took off.

"Wait up, Hyuuga!"

They traveled at lightning speed across the treetops of Konoha. She tried to keep up with him, but could only manage to close the distance by about 40 feet. Their travels weren't very familiar to her. She had never ventured this far away from town in this direction before, mainly because the property was privately owned.

She watched his back as he traveled, fixated on the bounce of his bound hair. Then suddenly, he was gone. She looked from side to side as she proceeded forward. When she took another leap, she didn't come in contact with a tree. Instead, she plummeted to the ground at the feet of Neji.

"Omph," she was laid out on her back, looking up at her tutor, "Why didn't you warn me?"

He shrugged, "I couldn't see you".

"Liar!"

"Just get up."

She stood up and dusted herself off. The knot in her lower back loosened and she quickly forgot about her stinging elbow by using the medical training the Hokage passed down to her. Once the pain was gone, she noticed the landscape before her. They stood on the edge of a huge grassy field that was perfectly manicured. It almost looked as if human feet had never touched it. It was secluded and quiet, surrounded by large trees on all sides.

"Where are we?"

"We are on my personal training ground provided by my uncle," he said in a bored tone.

"This is all yours?"

"All mine."

"Wow."

"This is where we are going to meet every morning, six days a week for six weeks."

"What time?"

"After my own training, so 10 AM would suffice."

"That works for me."

"Do you think you will be able to remember how you got here?" he asked. He was purposely trying to bait her. From her personality profile he was given, plus what he remembered from the past and from what others have told him, she was feisty and quick to prove herself. He automatically admired that in her, but also wanted to establish his authority over her right from the beginning.

"I think I'll manage. Thanks for asking," she said with a smile.

He was disappointed in her answer, but he let it go. A plan was hatching in his head that would make her respect and obey him, "Follow me. I'll review your files and give you the required contract material. I will do a through evaluation tomorrow."

"Wait, my files?" she asked, trailing behind him.

"Did I stutter?" He asked her, whipping around to face her.

"No, you didn't."

"Good," he stopped and sat before her, "Sit, please."

She sat across from him, putting a fair amount of space between them. He pulled two scrolls from behind his back and unwrapped the older of the two. She immediately recognized three of the five different types of handwriting. The first belonged to Iruka, the second belonged to Kakashi. The last was Tsunade's.

"Who's are these?" she asked, interrupting his reading to point at the two unidentifiable types of script.

"TenTen and Shizune. Don't interrupt me, please."

She sank back a bit, "Sorry."

She wasn't good at reading kanji upside-down, so she watched Neji intently. She had to admit; the haughty bastard was so damn attractive.

'_Why are the gorgeous ones always so arrogant?_' she thought to herself.

She took immediate notice of the sun playing with the lighter strands of his hair. From far away, you wouldn't have noticed, but sitting this close to him, it was hard not to. Her eyes made their way down to his forehead protector. The metal was scratched and dented beyond repair. It showed he had been to hell and back. She also knew he was hiding something behind that forehead protector. She was about to let her gaze fall to his eyes, but she was afraid. Of what, she didn't know.

He felt her eyes studying him. Even though his Byakugan wasn't active, he still could feel her eyes on him. He ignored it and finished reading what their current Hokage had written.

"Are you done staring?"

"I- I wasn't. I swear!" she sat back quickly, trying not to look at his eyes.

He raised his head to look at her. She was gripping her knees, probably so she wouldn't fall over. Her hair was a bit disheveled from their earlier trip over the tree tops, her eyes were wide, her cheeks were tinted red and she was biting her lip, '_Establishing my control over her might not be as hard as I thought_.'

He rolled the scroll back up and handed her the newer one.

She took it with much hesitation, "What's this?"

"In this scroll are the details of your training and what I expect of you during our time together. I want you to read it over tonight and return with it tomorrow where you and I will sign it. Do you understand?"

"Yes! Read it, understand it, bring it tomorrow," she relaxed a bit, "May I ask what my record says about me?"

"Well, it says a lot of things."

"Like?"

"We'd be here all day if I told you everything."

"Can't you tell me anything?"

"Well," he rolled it up and it disappeared in a small cloud of smoke, "It has missions, grades, training sessions, injuries, evalutio-"

"Anything specific?"

He looked her in the eyes, challenging her, "You really want to know?"

She nodded, nervously.

"Fine. According to your records, you are smart, but you are weak. You have perfect chakra control, but don't know how to use it to your advantage. You have been trained by some of the best ninjas in Konoha, yet you are still a disappointment when it comes to combat," he waited until it sank in before he put the icing on the cake, "And according to Kakashi, your dream for the future is to be with Sasuke. Pretty pathetic if you ask me."

"Wait!" she squealed, "I was 12! My dreams have changed. I-"

"I don't care what your dreams are," he stood up and cleaned any dirt from the back of his pants, "You are dismissed. I will see you tomorrow."

He didn't hear her get up, but he felt it. Her anger radiated from her body in the form of chakra. He smiled and thought, '_One more button to push_.'

"Listen here Hyuuga! I am a totally different Sakura and I am sure everything written on that little scroll of yours tells you that. And- and I'm going to show you that. I am going to show you my dreams! I am not her. I'm not."

"Prove it."

"I will," she turned towards the line of trees they came from, "See you tomorrow."

"Oh Sakura," he called after her, "One more thing before you go."

She turned around to face him, "Yeah?"

"I want to know what are you wearing under your dress?"

She stopped all movement. The only thing stirring on her body was her twitching eyebrow, "What?!"

"What's under that ugly dress of yours?"

"Y-you're a pervert!"

It looked as if he was going to reply, but he didn't. Instead, he launched himself behind her and grabbed as much of her hair as he could. Then, before she could stop his other hand, he grabbed the front flap of her dress, spun her around and pulled her firm against his chest. She was about to struggle, but she felt a pointy kunai at the base of her spine.

"Your wardrobe puts you in danger. That's why I asked," he whispered into her hair, "It also makes you look like a jezebel."

He took the kunai away and she immediately pushed herself away from him.

"How dare you?" she said to his chest.

"I'm your tutor. I am supposed to assist you in successfully completing the required tests for the positions you seek and making sure you don't get yourself killed," he took in her appearance once more time, "And I'm not doing this for my own pleasure and I sure as hell don't want to get my rocks off wondering what is under that atrocity."

Her twitching commenced.

He walked a circle around her, "Well, what's under the dress?"

"Shorts, mid-drift and a mesh shirt."

"Take off the dress."

"Are you nuts?"

"No. Now take it off or I'm going to do it for you."

Sakura put her hands on her hips, "I think you're bluffing! You are a Hyuuga, a family with much revere. You wouldn't dare disrespect a young lady."

He took a step towards her, "Do you want to call my bluff?"

She squinted her green eyes at him, he squinted his opalescent eyes at her in return.

"We can stand here all day if you like. I don't care."

"You don't care because you get getting paid. Plus, I am sure you love the look of humiliation on my face."

"Although the humiliation is an added benefit, I am not getting paid."

She raised an eyebrow, "Why not?"

"If I am to become a member of ANBU, one of my many tasks is to help shape the skills of a struggling ninja."

"Struggling?"

"Struggling."

"So you don't want to do this, you have to."

"Correct. And don't get it wrong, Sakura. That's not going to effect my performance, or yours."

"I see. Well, I-"

He raised an eyebrow, "You changed the subject."

"Inadvertently!"

His stern features became accentuated as he crossed his arms over his chest, "Take off the dress."

"Neji, please-" she pleaded.

"And while you're at, take off those shoes."

"Give me a break! What's wrong with my shoes? These are the same kind of shoes the Hokage wears!"

"I don't care if the Hokage wears stilts! You are nowhere near the ninja she is. You're going to get hurt. Take them off."

"I am glad to see you care about my well being, Neji-kun," she said sarcastically.

"It's required of me to care and I'd like to get through these six weeks without injury."

"Fine," she leaned down and undid the bands around her ankles and slipping the shoes off. Neji has always made her feel small enough, but now it was physically. She was at least 2 inches shorter than she was a few seconds ago and was positive her head would now fit perfectly under his chin, "I am not taking the dress off!"

"I know-"

She raised her head to look at him, _'I won?_'

"I am."

He walked around Sakura and stood behind her. She felt his hands brush her neck when he gently took hold of her vest collar. He slowly removed the fabric from her shoulders and brought the garment down her arms, the brush of his knuckles sending chills down her spine. When he was done, he took her vest and draped it over his left forearm. He returned to his previous position in front of her and looked directly into her wide green eyes. He expected her to stop him when he reached for the zipper, but she didn't.

'_Maybe she realized I was right.' _

If you had not heard the conversation prior or hadn't noticed the look of discomfort on Sakura's face, you would think this sensual display was taking place between two lovers. But sadly, it wasn't.

He continued, took the tiny silver tab in-between his thumb and forefinger and slid it down, slowly opening the shiny metal teeth one by one. When the dress was fully open, he slipped his callused hands under the upper portion and rested them on her mesh-covered shoulders. Again, he waited for her to stop him, which she didn't. Little by little, he slid his hands down her arms the same way he did with her vest. Instead of catching her dress, he let it fall to the ground.

He gave her a once-over. She was telling the truth; shorts, mid-drift, and mesh shirt. It was quite modest, didn't stand out and was perfect for fighting. He didn't understand why she insisted on wearing such outrageous garments that would only get her killed.

'_Women…'_

He placed her vest over her shoulders and said, "Tomorrow, return here with the proper attire. Understood?"

She nodded, stunned.

"And," he stepped closer to her, so close his breath ruffled her hair slightly. He brought his thumb to his lips, licked it and ran it down her cheek, "No make-up either. Do I make myself clear?"

She nodded again, still speechless.

"You are dismissed," and with those last words, he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

She calmly put her vest on properly, gathered her dress and shoes in her hands, and headed home. It wasn't until she was safely inside her apartment when she started to cry.

TBC…


	3. Contrary to popular belief, I don’t bite

"Ninja Tutoring"

by: QuasiAngel

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto...

Update Note: Here's chapter 3! Editing this is not as hard as I thought it would be. I was pretty meticulous when it came to grammar and descriptions. There was a little bit of confusion at the beginning, but I fixed it. Yay!

Note: _'Italics'_ are thoughts.

-

Chapter 3: _"Contrary to popular belief, I don't bite."_

One word could describe how Haruno Sakura was feeling at that moment: confliction.

Sakura sat with her back against her door. Her chin was resting on her knees and her face was buried in her rumpled dress. She didn't know why she was crying. Neji was 100 right about her clothing. She had been caught in dangerous situations in the past because of her dress and hair. All he did was _forcefully_ point it out to her, no harm done. Now she was on her floor, crying like a baby just because she didn't take him seriously. It was her fault that he humiliated her. If she had taken off the dress herself, she wouldn't be feeling so violated and confused. It's not like she had anything more reveling underneath, but she still felt dirty.

'Why did it make such a big difference when he did it? Why did it make such a big difference when he slipped my vest off of my shoulders? Why did it make such a big difference when he slowly unzipped my dress? Why do I still feel his touch on my skin? Why do I still feel the trail he made down my arms? Why? Argh!'

She buried her face deeper into her dress as she cried harder. She was surprised when she felt something hard graze her cheek. She pulled the article away from her face and let the dress unravel. That's when the scroll that Neji gave her dropped out of the tangled mess and rolled across the floor.

"Right- the scroll."

She forgot all about the dress and her tantrum and crawled across the ground on her hands and knees and picked up the rolling document.

'_Read it, understand it, bring it tomorrow.'_

She really didn't have to return it. She could just destroy it now and not go through six weeks of hell. She could stay a lower ranked Chuunin with unsatisfactory ratings. She could… but she wouldn't.

'_I don't care what Kakashi has said. I don't care what Neji has said. I want to become more. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I can do this!'_

She tossed the scroll on the table, quickly changed into something more comfortable and put her teakettle on the hot plate. She stood over the boiling water, letting the heat warm up her neck and face. Her brow slowly smoothed itself out and the damp, dark trails of tears and mascara dried and a damp perspiration caused by the hot water replaced it. She stayed like that for a few minutes, letting her muscles relax.Like clockwork, the kettle howled. She hurriedly prepared her tea and looked towards the small living area, sizing up her tiny paper opponent.

The rolled up scroll wasn't supposed to be scary. It represented change, but change that she would have to achieve alone. No Team 7. Or did she?

'_This is something I can't do by myself, guys.'_

She stopped by her windowsill and grabbed her most prized possession- her Team 7 photo. Placing it on the table and sitting down, Sakura rolled up her sleeves and unrolled the scroll.

-

Sakura woke up minutes before her alarm went off. It was just as well. She hadn't slept much last night. During those waking hours, she was immersed in thought.

Reading over the scroll gave her a better understanding of what tasks she needed to complete:Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, Taijutsu, weapons, healing and a written test. The written test would be a piece of cake, but the other few were pushing it. She had training in each one, but she had no specialty. She knew a thing here and there and that was it. That wouldn't be good enough for Neji.

"If I work hard then I have nothing to worry about," she said to herself, turning towards her closed closet door.

Well, almost nothing…

"I gotta find clothes!"

The now frantic and disheveled pink haired Chuunin threw open her closet doors, pushing the hangers back and forth in their cramped enclosure.

"This is bad," she sighed, "I have nothing to wear."

-

Sakura started her trek to Neji's training grounds a bit earlier than she should have. Her early departure was due to the fact that the land was not familiar to her yet. To her surprise, she didn't get lost and arrived fifteen minutes early. Instead of taking that last jump down to the grass below, she sat in a tree. She looked out on to the grassy field. Neji was in the middle standing still with a light blue aura of chakra visible around his body.

In a split second, he began to punch and kick an imaginary target with a fury she hadn't seen in years. She didn't want to blink, but the gentle breeze that came off of his fury passed her green eyes and she was forced to blink. When she opened her eyes, the breeze stopped and Neji was nowhere to be seen.

"It's not polite to stare, Sakura-chan."

She immediately looked up to where she heard his voice. When she did, she lost her footing and began to fall. She shut her eyes tightly, but never hit the ground. Instead, she felt a pressure around her wrist. Her bright eyes opened and looked up to see Neji dangling upside down from the branch above the one she was just on, hanging on by his legs.

"Neji."

He brought his free hand down and steadied it on the branch she was just on, unhooked his legs and he swung down.

"I'm going to let go."

"Okay."

He let go of her and she landed easily on her feet. He followed a second later.

Sakura looked up at him for a moment with a face of astonishment and then it changed to anger. She hit him hard on the back, "What'cha doing scaring people like that? I could have broken my neck!"

"But you didn't so it doesn't matter. Why are you here so early?"

"I'm always early."

"Next time don't hide in the bushes. Announce yourself properly."

"But I didn't want to interrupt you or piss you off or anything."

He crossed his arms over his chest, "Contrary to popular belief, I don't bite."

"Could have fooled me," she said under her breath.

He looked at her then, trying to study her face. That's when he noticed she was make-up free and her hair was mostly out of her face. Her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail with a few chuck framing her face because of its cut. Her forehead protector was in its usual spot, probably holding back even more loose hairs. He stepped back a bit to survey the rest of her. She was wearing the proper Chuunin vest with the same black mesh top and navy mid-drift she had the day before. Her hands were bear and wrists to forearms were covered with brown leather wrist sheaths. He made his way down and noticed the wide brown belt around her waist. On her belt hung a small shuriken pouch and another pouch to hold her kunai. She wore slightly oversized navy shorts that came to her knee and on top of the pants was a mauve handkerchief decorated with brown swirls. Her knees were covered with kneepads and her feet were adorned with standard Konoha sandals.

"Your attire is satisfactory."

"What? This old thing?" she did a twirl, "It's just something I had laying around."

He took her arm in his hand and turned them so her wrist sheaths were facing the sky revealing thin metal weapons, "Poison needles?"

"Contrary to popular belief, I don't poison my tutors."

"I'd love to see you try," he smiled.

She countered his smile with one of her own. She knew he was serious, but it sounded too much like humor to pass up a smile, "You would."

"What's in the bag?"

She beamed now, holding the bag straight out in front of her, "Our lunch!"

His eyes widened for a second, "Our?"

"Yup!"

"No one told you to make me lunch."

"No one told me not to."

"Very well. Leave it over there in the shade. I want to discuss a few things."

She dropped the bag under a tree and followed after him, jogging a bit to keep up, "What kinds of things?"

"Things," he sat down and she sat across from him, "Did you bring your scroll?"

"I did," she reached into one of her many pockets and pulled out the scroll, "Here you go!"

He took the scroll from her hand and unrolled it on the grass between them, "Do you have any questions?"

"No, I don't."

"Good. Pen?"

She searched her vest pockets until she found her only pen, "Here."

Neji looked at the writing instrument with disgust, "Pink?"

"I like pink and it's the only one I have," she smirked, "And correct me if I'm wrong, it's one more pen than you have."

He scowled at the bright pink writing instrument in her little hand and snatched it away from her. He quickly signed his name to the document and looked at it for a second. His scowl turned into a frown, "The ink has sparkles in it."

"Isn't it nice? I'm sure the Hokage will like it."

"Whatever," he handed the pen over, "Sign it."

She turned the scroll around and did so without hesitation. When her pen took its last stroke, the scroll disappeared, "Stupid Jounin parlor tricks," she said under her breath.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" He looked at her knowingly.

She gave him a genuine smile in return, "Nope!"

"Good," he stood up and motioned her to do the same, "Let's get started. Walk away from me until I tell you to stop."

She nodded and did so.

"Stop! Face me."

She turned around to face her tutor. She squinted slightly, the mid-morning sun in her eyes.

"Spread your legs a hip length apart. Then holds yours arms out away from your body."

"You're not gonna frisk me, are you?"

"Not exactly," he waited for her to say something, but she didn't, "Byakugan."

"Hey, wait a second," she held up her hands in self-defense, "I'm not prepared for this! Come on, Neji!"

"Silence! I'm not going to hurt you just yet. I just want to evaluate your chakra control so I know if my itinerary will be sufficient."

"I don't understand."

He huffed in frustration, "I want to know if you can keep up with what I have planned."

She mouthed the word, "Oh," took her previous position and activated her chakra.

He watched the blue energy glowing throughout her body. It moved slowly along its wire-like path, "Left hand."

It took her a second to realize what he wanted. She channeled her chakra to her left hand.

"Right hand. Left leg. Right leg. Nose. Left ear. Right ear. Right pinkie finger. Left knee. Tongue. Third vertebrae. Eyes. Left elbow. Right elbow. Left ankle. Right pinkie toe. Excellent!"

"Really?"

"Yes- your reaction time is immaculate. Your channeling is perfect."

"Did the Great Hyuuga Neji just compliment little old me?" she brought her hand dramatically to her chest.

"I did, but we are not finished."

"Oh, of course not," she blushed slightly.

"I want you to make a replica of yourself and deliver a right hook."

She preformed the appropriate seals, "Bunshin," and a pink haired replica of herself stood before her. She brought her arm back and landed her fist on the copy's jaw, causing it to disappear. She found Neji through the smoke and he didn't look too happy.

"So?"

"You made a perfect replica, but your punch had nothing behind it. Do it again, this time let your chakra travel through your arm as it comes closer to your target. Right before it hits, send your chakra to your fist."

She nodded, formed the same seals and did what he told her to do. Instead of instantly disappearing, her replica was thrown back and when she hit the ground, she vanished.

"Wow!"

"That's better, but your form is wrong."

"But did you see it? I send it flying!"

"You did, but you could have easily hurt yourself with that sloppy form."

"Oh yeah? Show me then," she produced another clone and stepped a few feet aside.

"Oh no you don't," in one swift movement he had a hold of Sakura by her shoulders. Her back was up against his front and they both stood with their right sides facing the clone, "I am going to instruct you on what to do. It should be just a review for you, but please pay attention. Understood?"

"I guess."

"Sakura," his gloved hands tighten on her shoulders, "You're not going to accomplish anything with that attitude."

"You're right," she turned her head to look at him and was surprised to see his face so close to hers; closer than she had expected, "I-I'm ready when you are."

He heard the nervousness in her voice. Not only that, his Byakugan could pick up on her discomfort easily. He wasn't sure what she was so nervous about so he asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, let's just get thr-"

"No, something's wrong and you can not lie. I have been instructed to form a bond of trust with you."

She turned around to face him, "What makes you so sure I am lying?"

He simply pointed to his eyes and frowned.

"Isn't that an invasion of privacy?"

"Unintended, of course."

Sakura turned back around and huffed, "It's nothing. Just second day jitters. Can we continue?"

Without conformation, Neji put his hands gently on her hips and forced her flush against his body, "Your legs are to be a shoulder length apart."

She was going to follow his direction, but she felt his right foot against hers, nudging it on the proper place. He did the same with the left foot.

"Your knees must be bent," he gently pushed on the back of her knees with the front of his until they were properly bent.

"Put your weight on the balls of your feet," he momentarily put pressure on her hips and relieved that pressure a few seconds later.

"The top of your forearm should be facing your opponent, as well as the back of your hand. Your hand shouldn't move above your eye level," he snaked his hand around to the front of her body and took hold of her right wrist, turning her arm and hand the correct way.

"Curl your finger into your palm and cover the tips with your thumb," he tucked her fingers into her palm and positioned her thumb.

"And when you connect," he brought her hand out away from her body and lightly tapped the clone with her fist, "Do it with the index and middle knuckles. Got it?"

He stepped back, but she could still feel the brush of his chest when he inhaled and the short gusts of air when he exhaled, "Y-yes."

"Good- just remember not to aim at your opponent's face. Your target is beyond it. And don't forget about your chakra. Now try it."

She assured her position with her legs apart and bent. She closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip. She bent her arm at her side and made the proper fist. Then with lightning fast movement, she twisted her wrist, extended her arm and pushed her chakra into her fist with a loud grunt.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Neji standing before her and the clone was gone, "Very good."

She jumped a few feet in the air and squealed, "I did it!"

In a flash he had his hand gently around her neck, "Don't celebrate. It gives the enemy an opening. Just because you are training, doesn't mean you can take everything lightly."

He looked at the fear in her eyes and felt her erratic breath under his hand. She was terrified of him, '_Interesting_,' he let go and deactivated the Byakugan.

She caught her breath and collected her thoughts, "S-sorry."

He sat down on the grass, "Come, sit."

She plopped down carefully in front of him, keeping a fair amount of distance between them, "B-but I did do good?"

"I told you how you did. I don't give compliments easily and never more than once. Don't pry."

"Of course, sorry," she looked at him with curiosity, "What now?"

"I am required by the Hokage to tell you what to expect."

"Isn't that what the scroll was for?"

"Ideally, but a specific schedule for both you and Godaime are required."

"There is so much paperwork," she stated absently.

"Tell me about it," he pulled two scrolls out from behind his back. One was the scroll containing her records; the other was a brand new one.

"What's the new one for?"

"You, obviously."

"Oh."

"This week we will continue with the material you should already know. If improvements are needed, we'll work on it some more during the sixth week. The weeks that follow will be specifically tailored to Genjutsu, Taijutsu and Ninjutsu. Do you understand so far?"

She held up her fingers and counted each week, "First week is basics, second week is Genjutsu, third week is Taijutsu, and fourth week is Ninjutsu. What about fifth and sixth? What about weapons training and healing?"

He noticed the giddy glint in her eyes when she mentioned these, "I am sure we can fit those two in on the fifth week."

"And the sixth?"

"You will work on anything you are not sufficient in. The last day of tutoring you will take the physical and written tests. And anytime during the week before your official testing date, I will giving you a surprise examination myself to verify your skills to see if you are ready."

"How are you going to verify my skills?"

A malicious smile appeared on his face, "You'll fight me."

"No way! Six weeks of training will prepare me to beat you," she said, frantic.

"You don't have to beat me, you just have to prove yourself."

She sank back, "Oh."

"Hey, don't look defeated so soon," his produced a fake smile, "It'll be fun. And speaking of fun, I need to fill out this paperwork. While I am doing this, you will practice what I just showed you."

"Do you need my pen back, Neji-kun?" she said in a teasing manner.

"Just gimme the damn thing and go beat something up."

"Only if we eat when you're done."

"Fine," he grabbed the pen and opened the scrolls, "Now go."

She stood up and saluted, "Yes, sir!"

-

"Is that all you are eating, Sakura?"

"Yes, I'm on a diet."

"Why?"

She shrugged.

"Sakura, tell me. What do you usually eat on a daily basis?"

She bounced the pair of chopsticks against her bottom lip, trying to tally up her daily intake, "I usually have a cup of tea and toast for breakfast, something similar to this for lunch and about the same for dinner."

"That's it?"

"Yeah, that's it. Why?"

"For the smartest in your graduating class, you are really stupid."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me," he said, not meeting her gaze.

"I did, but why would you say that?"

"To produce an adequate amount of chakra to perform most jutsus, you need energy. You gain energy from food," he looked up at her, "Get it?"

"I knew that, but I didn't think it made much of a difference."

He shook his head and continued to eat.

"What?"

He carefully put his bento down and placed his chopstick across the top, "You didn't know how to properly land a punch. You also don't know how to eat correctly. What were you taught?"

"The same things as you."

"No," he stopped. She really left herself wide open to his insults, "Wait, maybe you are right. We were taught the same things, but unlike you I didn't spend my genin years paying attention to other things."

"Like?"

"Uchiha."

She slammed her chopsticks down on the sheet they were on, "Don't start that again. You don't know enough about me to say how I spent my genin years!"

"And I don't claim to. The only thing I know about you is what was written in the scrolls and from personal experience."

"You can't know too much about me! You ignored me most of the time. And- and where in that scroll tells you what it's like to be a Kunoichi? It doesn't. You don't know what it's like to have to be protected by default just because you are female. You were the number one rookie in your graduating class. You have no idea what it's like to have to struggle to be strong. I lack the seals or the daemons or the unlimited charka supplies or the bloodline traits. I am just me! Everything you see comes from just being Sakura!"

"You think that I am strong because of the Byakugan? That is got me to where I am?"

She shrugged.

"I was only born with these damn eyes. That's the only thing I had. No one taught me how to use them. My uncle didn't train me. I did this all myself! I achieved my strength with determination and hard work, same as almost everyone else. You are as strong as you are determined, Sakura. Show me. Show me you are determined and you will be stronger," he took his raging eyes off of her, "Show me and I will respect you."

She was a bit surprised by his statement. Never did she expect to hear encouraging words from him. There were so many sides of Hyuuga Neji that she did not understand and it was a bit overwhelming. She didn't know whether to fear him or trust him, "I- I'll do it. No more doing what I can just to get by."

"Good. Now," he picked up his chopsticks and pointed them at her, "Finish that sorry excuse for a meal. We have the rest of the afternoon to train."

He watched her dejected expression as she stuffed small portions in her mouth.

"Sakura."

"Hmm?" she didn't look up.

"This isn't a game to me. I'm being hard on you for a reason. I'm doing it to keep you on your toes. It's hard work to be a ninja and it's even harder to be anything more than a Chuunin. I'm doing this for your own good."

She looked up at him and gave him a genuine Haruno Sakura smile, "I know. It's just that in two days you have pushed me to do more than anyone ever has and you actually believe I can do it. You aren't giving me special treatment or sugar coating anything and it means a lot to me."

He was speechless. When he started this tutoring thing, he intended to break his student until he or she did what he told him to. He wanted his student to fear him. Instead, his student was praising him, _'Where did I go wrong?_'

He continued to eat, not wanting to look her in the eyes. Not wanting her to see his bewildered expression, "I'm only doing my job."

"I know and I will do mine."

TBC…


End file.
